Cal-OSHA Extreme Heat Warning

Newsflash Cal-OSHA Wants Employers To Know It’s Hot

Recently Cal-OSHA has been issuing Extreme Heat Advisories for parts of California. Below is a list of cities that have gotten these extreme heat advisories.

Los Angeles

Orange County

Inland Empire

San Luis Obispo County

Employers who have employees that work in an outside business there are additional precautions’ that must be taken once the temperatures hit the 95. This summer is going to be a hot one so will be in the interest of employers to be aware of what they need to do to protect their employees.

The definition of an outdoor business is self-evident for the most part. In addition to the construction, and ag industries, automotive repair shops, and auto body shops or any other business that has doors that remain open during business hours may qualify as an outdoor business.

The reason for this is that with the doors being open the building is now subject to the same conditions as outside, thus making this indoor business qualify under the outdoor definition.

With the Extreme Heat, California Employers Need to Be vigilant. That is the message that Cal-OSHA wants to make sure that employers hear. The fines for non-compliance can be as much as $18,000.00. Employers need to be aware that regulations are increasing and because of that compliance in regards to Safety on the job and California Labor Laws are much more challenging than they have ever been.

So what is an employer to do?

Make sure that you are providing your employees with plenty of water and shade, and that both are easily accessible.

Ensure that you have trained your companies Supervisors with regards to heat illness prevention.

Provide at least one quart or four eight-ounce glasses of water every hour.

Not only are employers to provide the water and shade but they are to encourage employees to use them.

Make employees aware that they can request a cool down rest period in the shade that lasts at least five minutes. During this cool down period employees are to be free from any form of work.

While the employee is taking a five-minute cool down the employer is to enquire and watch the employee to make sure that they are not suffering from any heat-related illness.

During the summer months’ employers are required to monitor the weather and keep their employees aware of the extreme heat.

As a Consulting Service, we strongly recommend that every company in the state of California comply with all of the Cal-OSHA Standards. This would include having a formally written Heat Illness and Injury Prevention Program.

We also encourage all employers to have a formally written Safety Program/Illness and Injury Prevention Program that meets all of the eight standards established by Cal-OSHA. In addition to having these programs, employers need to make sure that they are complying with the program that they have implemented.

Failing to comply with your company’s safety policies will result in fines and penalties. Cal-OSHA fines have gone up about 80% this year and going forward, so it is cheaper to comply than not.